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Thursday, October 20, 2016

Flexing that 'writing muscle'

“Writing
is a muscle that needs to be exercised.” – Nikki Grimes

Born this date in 1950, Grimes has
authored many books for children and young adults.Growing up in Harlem, she said, "Books
were my survival tools. They were how I got by, and how I coped with things.
Books carried me away."

Also a poet and journalist, her
interests and talents are as widely diverse as her writing skills, including
award-winning photography, fiber art, and beading.

On the board of directors for the
National Children's Book and Literacy Alliance, her work has earned her honors
and recognition from a number of prestigious organizations including the NCTE
Award for Excellence in Poetry for Children, and (a remarkable 4 times) the
Coretta Scott King Author Award for her fiction – Bronx Masquerade, Dark Sons, The Road to Paris, and Talkin’ About Bessie.

“Originally I had planned to write
just a couple

of children's books and then, return the focus on adult
literature,” she noted.“(But) A funny
thing happened along the way - I kept having new ideas, and then I looked up
one day, and 30 years had passed!”

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About Me

In addition to years of writing of news, sports, and feature stories, both as a journalist and in public relations, I've authored seven books (and counting :), a one-act play, and three songs. I also contributed to two published anthologies.

My newest book, the historical novel And The Wind Whispered, has earned top reviews around the nation and a Silver Award in the Historical Fiction category at the 2016 Colorado Book Awards. Check it out on Amazon or Goodreads. It also is available ion both print and e-book formats through all major book outlets.

I enjoy public speaking on the topics of “Telling
an Effective Story,” “Effective Communication,” and “Storytelling – From
Journalism to Creative Writing" and have been an invited speaker at recent Historical Novel Society and Historical Writers of America national conferences. You can access an interview with me on YouTube at this link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g3qNiwWshAM

I retired from Augsburg College (and my wife from St. Olaf College) in 2013 when we moved to Colorado, where I've been working on my books, writing for Broadlands Living magazine, and doing freelance marketing and p.r.